Friday, February 22, 2008

Things that inspire...

Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong country. Much of American "fashion" does not appeal to me. However, I just love the things made by this designer! Gudrun Sjoden I get so excited when a catalog shows up in the mail. I also like that there is variety in her designs. Sadly, the prices are beyond me, but I can look, can't I? I am hoping to spend some time sewing for myself some day...and I hope to make a comfortable wardrobe that is an expression of me.

If you should take some time to browse around her site, you may even see the 66 year old designer wearing some of her clothes. I loved her Autumn 2007 collection. You can glimpse a bit of it if you mouse over the "Right Now" tab at the top and click on the "Gundrun's Favorites."

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Still Searching for a Camera...

I apologize for my prolonged absence. I realize that the blogs I enjoy have lovely pictures to accompany the text. I have not been blogging much because I don't have a working camera, and therefore my blog is now just bland black type on bland white background. My photography skills are not great, but everyone likes pictures, right?

Well, I am going to be looking for a camera in earnest this coming month. I do not have a lot of money to spend. I have been told the newer cameras come out in March, so I am hoping to find a good deal on "last year's" when the new ones come out.

Any equipment recommendations would be most welcome! I am also looking for a good book that will help me learn to be a better photographer. Those of you who are more experienced behind the lens, please, share your tips with me! (Ahem! Lil, Kim, are you reading this??)

Just a note to Liliana...

Liliana, you're a hoot!!

Monday, February 04, 2008

Too Many Choices!!!

Am I the only person who is feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices that abound these days??? I find it in almost any area of my life...go to the grocery store and just look at one section, like the number of salad dressings. Good grief! I think I'll just make my own!

I remember back in the good old days of home schooling. You know, the days when people looked at me in amazement and asked me, "Is that LEGAL?" Back then, we stayed home. We read books. We struggled to find good curriculum and we only knew a select few other people who were doing the same thing. Now, there is such a large quantity curriculum out there geared towards home schoolers that I can not even possibly investigate it all. And the options for extracurricular activities?? Well, in my community, there are so many sports, clubs, co-ops and social engagements arranged for home schoolers that my head is spinning! Most of it is good or profitable, but REALLY! We are supposed to be HOME schooling. How can we do that if we are never HOME!?

We don't have cable or satellite TV, but I pity the people who do. It must be hard to settle on something and watch. It seems a lot of folk just use the remote and go from channel to channel to channel. Ha! Remember the stone age when there were only 3 major networks and no DVD or video tapes? Remember how exciting it was when The Wizard of Oz came on once a year? It seemed so special then! These days it seems there is nothing special about TV or movies. (Okay, I admit that lately we have been greatly enjoying the Jane Austin pieces on Masterpiece.) The choices are vast and mostly mediocre. You can rent or own a movie and watch it any time you want and as many times as you want. Ho, hum.

I just feel like I am faced with too many decisions all around me. Recently, I joined Ravelry, an online knitting and crochet community. I am amazed! Astounded! It is an awesome place to be. There are some wonderful tools provided so that I can inventory my yarns and needlework tools and books. There are forums and groups. hundreds, nay thousands of different groups and forums. There are all sorts of interesting people who like to knit and crochet and spin. These people write all sorts of informative and witty things. All this to choose from, and Ravelry is just teensy tiny speck of dust in the vast internet world. Due to the recent popularity in knitting and crochet, there are so many more interesting blogs and books to read on the subject. Volumes of patterns calling my name. Web merchant upon web merchant offering a plethora of lovely yarn. How can one person possibly wade through it all and find her cozy little corner in the middle of all this?

Don't get me wrong, variety and choices can be a very good thing. I am thankful for all that is available to me. But can it have a downside? I begin to wonder if it is adding to the disease of stress that plagues our nation. Was man meant to make so many choices every day? Just think of all the available options for what to have for breakfast, what to wear, what to read, what to do, what to listen to, what to watch...By the end of the day I find myself exhausted by the large number of decisions that have to be made. The variety and selection in almost any area of life is ever increasing in American society, but contentment and satisfaction are not. Why is that?

This is something I have been pondering lately. It is one of the reasons I am hoping to make steps towards simplifying my life and home. But I will save that topic for another post.

Just Ignore This...

I have a LOT of topics rumbling around in my head lately that I want to blog about. This is just a list so that when I actually get time to write I can remember what it is I wanted to write about! I hope to actually write something with content eventually. Sorry, nothing here worth looking at!

--Simplifying/purposeful living
--Organizing
--Too many choices
--7 people, 2 cars, 2 accidents, 2 blocks
--Holy stash! Batman!
--Death and losing a parent
--Searching for a camera

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